COOKBOOKS WITH PANACHE Vegetables by 40 Great French Chefs
By Lyndsay and Patrick Mikanowski
Thirty-five of France's most prominent
chefs share recipes that will make even the most resistant
vegetable snubber reach for a fork. The chefs—including
pastry god Pierre Hermé, l'Arpège's elegant
Alain Passard, and grande dame of Parisian cuisine Hélène
Darroze—create
eye-catching and satisfying recipes with vegetables ranging
from spinach and broccoli to rhubarb and sweet peas, from
leeks and beets to fennel and artichokes. Vegetables (Éditions
Flammarion, 2006, $45) offers
a fresh, new view of French culinary trends. The book opens
with a vegetable patch tour featuring Joël Thiébault,
a respected French farmer who delivers his amazing produce
to the doorsteps of prominent French foodies including cookbook
maven Patricia Wells. Joël offers tips for growing your
own produce or selecting the best vegetables at market, along
with the history and nutritional properties of the featured
vegetables.
INGREDIENTS
KOHLRABI SAUCE
2¼ lb Azur Star kohlrabi
Salt
1/3 cup broth made with aromatic flowers
1/3 cup olive oil
LIGHT CREAM EMULSION
1 lb 5 oz Azur Star kohlrabi
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped kohlrabi
with mixed vegetable, cooked to a purée
¼ teaspoon grated lime zest
1 scant cup whipped cream
JUMBO SHRIMP
20 jumbo shrimp
7 cups broth made with coriander (cilantro)
flowers, chive flowers and stems,
grated lemon and orange zest
TO FINISH
Salt & mignonette pepper
A few tablespoons vinaigrette dressing
Coriander flowers
Chive flowers
Azur Star kohlrabi sauce with a light cream
and lime zest emulsion and aromatic jumbo shrimp
By Alain Pégouret
Serves 4
Azur Star Kohlrabi with a light cream and lime
zest emulsion, and aromatic jumbo shrimp by Alain Pégouret.
Kohlrabi Sauce
Wash and peel the kohlrabi, cut into large cubes, then cook in a
saucepan of boiling water, adding salt at the end of the cooking
time. Rinse, drain, and carefully dry with kitchen paper. Put in
the bowl of a food processor and combine with the aromatic flower
broth and the olive oil to obtain a smooth sauce. Rectify the seasoning
and reserve.
Light Cream Emulsion
Wash the kohlrabi and cut into ¼-inch dice. Heat the grapeseed
oil in a saucepan. Add the chopped kohlrabi and season to taste. Cook
gently, stirring regularly so that the mixture does not color. Cover
and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. At the end of this time, remove the
lid and allow all the vegetable liquid to evaporate. Push the dry vegetables
through a sieve. Mix this purée with the finely chopped kohlrabi
and vegetable mixture, grated lime zest, and whipped cream. Refrigerate
until required.
Jumbo Shrimp
Cook the jumbo shrimp in the broth for 3 minutes. Shell the shrimp
tails and reserve them.
Assembling the Dish
Divide the kohlrabi sauce between 6 shallow bowls. Use a soupspoon
to fashion a large quenelle of the light cream emulsion and place
it in the center of the bowl. Season the shrimp, sprinkle a little
vinaigrette dressing over them and arrange them around the quenelles.
Sprinkle with a few coriander flowers and chive flowers.
Recommended Wine: Viognier, Condrieux 2003.
Rhubarb tart with strawberry compote
By Françoise Thiébault
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
SHORTCRUST DOUGH
½ cup sugar
1 scant cup butter
1 pinch salt
2½ cups all-purpose flour
FILLING
2 1b rhubarb
1 teaspoon ginger juice, made from ginger root
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons crème fraîche
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk
Carrières rhubarb tart with strawberry compote by Françoise
Thiébault.
Rhubarb Tart
The day before, cut the rhubarb into short 1-inch lengths. Put
a piece of ginger root in a press to obtain about 1 teaspoon of liquid.
Mix both together with 2 tablespoons of the sugar and leave overnight.
Shortcrust Dough
The following day, combine the sugar, butter, and salt until
smooth and fluffy, then gradually beat in the flour. Fill a tart
pan with the mixture, pushing it outward and into place with the
palm of your hand. To finish the filling, whip the crème fraîche
in a bowl with the remaining ¼ cup sugar, then add the flour,
a whole egg, and an egg yolk. The mixture should be smooth. Drain
the lengths of rhubarb and fold them into the cream, then spread
the mixture in the bottom of the tart pan. Bake the tart in a preheated
450°F oven for 45 minutes.
Strawberry Compote
Wash and hull the strawberries. Drain in a colander then put
in a bowl with the sugar and leave to rest for 1 hour. Soak the gelatin
leaves in cold water. Cook the sugared strawberries for just a few
minutes on low heat. Dissolve the gelatin in the mixture while it
is still warm. Divide the mixture between 8 ramekins. Leave to cool,
then refrigerate until chilled.
Recommended Wine: Vouvray Moelleux Huet 2002.
Photos by Grant Symon, from Vegetables
by 40 Great French Chefs by Lyndsay and Patrick
Mikanowski, Paris: Éditions Flammarion, 2006.
